Contents

1. Project initiation
2. Task group assignment
3. Proposed task-group draft (PTD)
4. Proposed working-group draft (PWD)
5. Proposed call for comment (PCFC)
6. Revision of formatted PCFC version
7. Call for Comment (CFC) on public draft
8. Comments on the public draft
9. Publication of document

Step 1a) New project request

A Working Group, AES Technical Council, or a member of the public may request an AESSC standards project. Requests may be made on-line at http://www.aes.org/standards/b_policies/project-request-form.cfm or by communicating the relevant information directly to the secretariat .

Step 1b) New project initiation

The project request is considered by the appropriate Subcommittee who will complete the initiation process, seeking additional information if required. The subcommittee assigns the initiated project for development by the appropriate working group.

The working group may accept the project or recommend it be incorporated into the scope of an existing project. After it accepts a project, the working group must add planned completion dates for all incomplete steps of this process up to step 7.

Step 2) Task group assignment

The working group may establish a task group to progress the project, or may assign the project to an existing task group. A task group may handle any number of projects (or none, for example, if it is assigned an administrative task by the working group). A project may also, in rare cases, be assigned to more than one task group.

Step 3) Proposed task-group draft (PTD)

The task group places a proposed draft on the its document site. The task group document site is a sub-directory of the working group site and is held on the AESSC secure server with pasword-controlled access. It names the draft file according to rules in the AESSC communications document. Word processing documents compatible with Microsoft Word are acceptable for drafts in the course of development.

Members of both the working group and task group, but principally the task group, send their reviews and discussion to the task group reflector and place alternative documents on the task group document site. The document does not need to be formatted exactly by the task group, only enough to indicate proposed clause and subclause numbers.

For convenience, An MS Word template that contains appropriate formatting, style information, and content guidance is available here.

Step 4) Proposed working-group draft (PWD)

When the task group is satisfied that a proposal under its jurisdiction is certain to progress to a working-group draft document, it asks the working group for permission to post the PTD as a proposed working-group draft on the WG document site. The working group chair requests objections from the working group.

Step 5) Proposed call for comment (PCFC)

When the working group is satisfied with the content of its PWD, it asks the secretariat to complete its formatting as an AES draft standard with a document designation, called a proposed call for comment. The secretariat places its formatted version on the working group site in PDF format. Any revisions required after this stage shall be implemented by the Secretariat.

Earlier secretariat formatting may be requested by the Working Group chair where this would promote the completion of the document.

Step 6) Forwarding of revisions to secretariat

After a consensus had been reached, the working-group chair or vice-chair may either:

a) indicate the approved changes by selecting all text from the PDF and then creating a new document with strike-through for deletes and underlines for additions or

b) select only the changed sub-clauses, indicating the changes.

The secretariat will incorporate the sub-clauses in the proposed draft and repost it on the working group document site as often as wished.

This step is the last for a published permanent report.

Step 7) Call for Comment (CFC) on public draft

After the working group is satisfied with the formatted draft, it asks its parent subcommittee to propose to the AESSC (through the secretariat) that the draft be published as a public call for comment.

The subcommittee shall do so if it finds, based on the reports of the working group, that consensus for publication exists in the working group and that no conflict exists with any other standards body. The secretariat will ask the concurrence of the steering committee and then post the document and the Call for Comment on the Web site and schedule a notice for insertion in JAES.

After the draft is published with a call for comment, it can no longer be discussed or modified by the working group.

Step 8) Comments on the public draft

Within our procedures, a "comment" is a formal objection to the content of the document as scoped. A comment will address specific issues and will offer alternative wording. The secretariat will publicly post comments on the CFC to the AESSC web site. The officers of the working group shall prepare replies on behalf of the Subcommittee.

The working group may discuss comments received and published on the AESSC Web site for the purpose of helping the chair and vice-chair prepare replies. However, if members of the working group wish themselves to add additional comments, they must do so publicly by the means described in the call. These comments may be submitted by e-mail during a working-group meeting.

Step 9) Publication of document

After the comment period ends, the AESSC Steering Committee will review the comment record to determine if the comments are resolved and a consensus for publishing exists.

If substantive changes must be made, the secretariat will return the document to the subcommittee. It will not be published until it has pazsed again through the entire process.

If only editorial or no changes need to be made, the secretariat will make any necessary changes, then submit the document to the JAES copy readers for recommended further editorial changes. The secretariat will make any changes required, post the document on the subcommittee site for a final review, then place it on the printing site for publication.

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